Health care providers supercharged their telemedicine offerings as a result of the pandemic—however, how those providers will be reimbursed for virtual care moving forward is in question. 

Improving Pennsylvania’s health care workforce pipeline and the tools available to lessen the problem continue to be at the top of mind for the state’s health system leadership. 

Pennsylvania’s hospitals generated $155 billion in economic activity in 2020, while taking a $6.5 billion loss, according to a recent report by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). 

“Physically, psychologically, it was too much,” Grab said, adding that a lot of nurses left the field in the past year. “Unfortunately, there are not enough nurses in the pipeline to fill those spots.”

Between March and July, Pennsylvania hospitals experienced $5 billion in losses resulting from a sharp decline in patient volume and despite federal relief fund payments.